The McLaren championship chief Lando Norris said Thursday before the Japanese Grand Prix that he was “our turn” to have the best Formula One car. McLaren has been the team to beat so far this season, Norris winning the first Australian Grand Prix before his teammate Oscar Piastri put him in one in China. Red Bull has dominated F1 in recent years, Max Verstappen winning the pilot championship in the last four seasons. British Norris thinks McLaren is now faster and he intends to prove it again this weekend in Suzuka.
“Do I agree that we have the best car? Yes, and that is to say that,” said the 25-year-old, who has never won in Japan.
“We haven’t had that before in Formula 1. Max had time to have the best car from afar and now it’s our chance, it’s our turn.”
Norris leads Verstappen in the eight -point championship classification, with Piastri in fourth place behind George Russell de Mercedes.
McLaren is one of the few teams at the front of the grid that has made no driver change before the new season.
Norris said the chemistry between him and the Australian Piastri gives them an advantage over their rivals.
“I would never put myself on a pedestal, but the way we work as a team, I think it’s better than all the other teams,” said Norris.
“How we push each other and come out more from each other as two pilots, I also agree that we are better than any other team.”
Verstappen has won the Japanese Grand Prix in the past three years and led the teammate then Sergio Perez in one in Suzuka last season.
“I think that if you come back a year ago, Red Bull was much further than we are,” he said.
“The fact that they had two pilots up there, dominant, they were much further than we are.
“So I think we are doing a very good job, and I have the impression that people are talking much more about us now.”
(This story has not been published by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a unionized flow.)
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